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The serine protease Sp7 is expressed in blood cells and regulates the melanization reaction in Drosophila.

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Author

Summary, in English

Serine proteases play a central role in defense against pathogens by regulating processes such as blood clotting, melanization of injured surfaces, and proteolytic activation of signaling pathways involved in innate immunity. Here, we present the functional characterization of the Drosophila serine protease Sp7 (CG3006) by inducible RNA interference. We show that Sp7 is constitutively expressed in blood cells during embryonic and larval stages. Silencing of the gene impairs the melanization reaction upon injury. Our data demonstrate that Sp7 is required for phenoloxidase activation and its activity is restricted to a subclass of blood cells, the crystal cells. Transcriptional up-regulation of Sp7 was observed after clean, septic injury and in flies expressing an activated form of Toll; however, mutations in the Toll or the IMD pathway did not abolish expression of Sp7, indicating the existence of other regulatory pathways and/or independent basal transcription.

Publishing year

2005

Language

English

Pages

1075-1082

Publication/Series

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

Volume

338

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Biological Sciences

Keywords

  • Drosophila
  • RNAi
  • Serine protease
  • Melanization
  • Phenoloxidase
  • Wound
  • Blood cells
  • Innate immunity

Status

Published

Research group

  • Invertebrate Developmental Biology, Udo Haecker's group

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1090-2104